Conveyor mechanism



April 29, 1958 J. D. RUSSELL CONVEYOR MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 11. 1956 April 29, 1958 J. D. RUSSELL 2,832,482

CONVEYOR MECHANISM Filed Jan. ll, 1956 Fay. 57:

5 Sheets-Sheet 3 35 ZI) Ilma/@222029:

United rates coNvnvoR MucnANrsM y John D. Russell, Bradfordwoods, Pa., assigner to Joy Manufacturing Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 11, 1956, Serial No. 558,452

8 Claims. (Cl. 21d-41) This invention relates to conveyor mechanism and more particularly to a conveyor mechanism especially designed for use in tunnel work for loading loose material such as muck into a train of mine cars.

The present invention is an improvement over that disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 302,527,

led August 4, 1952, now Patent No. 2,796,969, in that the structure is simplified and more compact.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved conveyor mechanism especially designed for use in tunnel work. Another object is to provide an improved conveyor mechanism for loading a train of mine cars with the conveyor mechanism mounted and guided by the same trackway as that which supports and guides the train of mine cars. A further object is to provide an improved conveyor mechanism made up of a series of articulated conveyor sections supported by skids engaging the rails of the tunnel trackway, with the skids having track providing surfaces over which the wheels of the mine car-s may travel. These and other objects and advantages of the invention will, however, hereinafter more fully ap! pear.

In the accompanying drawings there is shown for purposes of illustration one form which the invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings:

Figs. la and lb, taken together, constitute a fragmentary side View of a tunneling apparatus with which the improved conveyor mechanism is associated.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross section taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1a.

Fig. 3 is a somewhat schematic plan view of the improved conveyor mechanism illustrating the manner in which the conveyor sections may negotiate a curved trackway.

Fig. 4 is a detail vertical section taken on line i--d of Fig. 2, showing schematically the manner in which the Wheels of the mine cars may pass over the conveyor skids.

Fig. 5 is a detail vertical section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4, showing one of the track engaging skids of the conveyor mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5, showing a conveyor skid in side elevation.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 3, showing in detail one of the cylinder and piston devices between adjacent conveyor sections.

Fig. 8 shows in plan one of the pairs of cylinder and piston devices.

The conveyor mechanism, generally designated 1, is shown associated with a tunneling apparatus embodying a conventional loading machine, generally designated 2, having an extensible drawbar connection 3 with the conveyor mechanism. An extensible conveyor d is connected between the conveyor mechanism and the loading machine and a wheeled truck 5 supports the rearward portion of the extensible conveyor as at 6. A conventionall hoist 7 on the loading machine has cables 8 and 9 wound on its drains and operatively connected to a scoop or 2,832,482 Patented Apr. 29, 1958 scraper 1t) and a sheave or guide pulley 11 attached to the working face serves as a guide for the forward cable. The hoist may be operated to draw in and pay out the cables to move the scoop 8 back and forth over the tunnel hoor relative to a pile of loose material or muck designated M disposed on the tunnel floor near the working face. The scraper is operative to move loose material onto the nose i2 of the loading machine :and the latter has an elevating conveyor 13 for moving the material upwardly and rearwardly to discharge onto the extensible conveyor 4. A tunnel trackway t4 has parallel track rails 15 over which the wheels i6 of the train of mine cars i7 are adapted to travel. The loading machine has retractable track engaging wheels 18 which may be moved into engagement with the track rails, in the manner fully disclosed in the above mentioned application.

Now referring to the detail structure of the conveyor mechanism, it will be noted that the latter is made up of a series of articulated sections coupled together as by connections 2l in end to end relation and each having bottom shoes or skids 22 slidingly engaging the rail treads. These shoes have depending inner flanges 23 which ride along the inner edges of the rail treads in such a manner to enable ready negotiation of the usual switches and frogs of the trackway while retaining the shoes on the track rails.' Each shoe has oppositely inclined ramplike portions 2d havino an upper track surface 25 overlying 'the rail treads and over which the wheels 16 of the mine cars may travel as the train of cars moves along the tunnel trackway beneath the series of upper conveyors 26 which overlie the cars in the manner also fully disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 302,527, above referred to. rthe shoes or skids support upright end frames E7 which extend oppositely at the sides of the mine cars (Fig. 2) and are provided with horizontal upper portions 27 which support the conveyors. The end frames may be rigidly connected in spaced apart relation as by connecting elements 28, desirably in the form of crossed struts or brace rods. Evidently the end frames of the conveyor sections may be rigidly connected in various other manners.

The conveyors each include an endless conveyor belt 29 and are arranged in cascade relation so that the discharge end of one overlies the receiving end of another in a well known manner. The wheeled truck 5 has a pivotal connection with the conveyor mechanism and a yoke member 30 has side arms 31 atached, as by pin and slot connections 32, to the adjacent end section of the conveyor mechanism. The yoke member is pivotally connected at 33 on a vertical axis, to the wheeled truck 5'. The coupling connections 2l may'assume various forms but herein for illustrative purposes may be similar to those disclosed in a copending application Serial No. 585,083, tiled may May l5, 1956, owned by the assignee of the present invention. These connections comprise a pair of extensible iluid devices in the form of parallel cylinder and piston mechanisms 34 comprising uid cylinders 35 kcontaining reciprocable pistons 36. The cylinders are pivotally connected at 37 to a frame 33 of a conveyor section for horizontal swinging movement, and the pistons 36 have piston rods ttl which are pivotally connected at il to an adjacent conveyor section. The ends of the cylinders are connected together by bypass conduits d2 and 43 and hydraulic iiuid, preferably a light oil, contained in the cylinders may bypass freely through these conduits between the cylinders as the conveyor mechanism moves along a curved trackway, as shown in Fig. 3. Equal displacement of hydraulic tluid within the cylinders maintains constant pressure against the pistons in the cylinders, thus providing equal pull on each cylinder and piston device in all relative positions of the assenso pistons. It is therefore evident that there may be equal pull on each of the parallel devices 21.

The connections 2l are so arranged and constructed at the sides of the conveyor sections out of the path of vthetrainiof` mine `cars 4that kthey do. not interferetwith theunder carriageslof the mine cars. '.By the provision of 'these connections-2l the conveyor mechanism: vmay `be skidded Valong the. .track rails either forwardly'ors-rearwardly and maymove along a trackway which `-is curved (Fig` 3).

The conveyor mechanism may be moved along the tunnel trackwayby'the loading machine which is at that 'time supported on and propelled bytitstrack engaging treads. At that time the extensible conveyorfft anddravw -bar 3 are collapsed, and whenVthe-'working -place Ais reachedthe-loading machine may Vrun ofi the end' of the trackfwayvonto the tunnel-floor and may` operate over the floor independently-of the trackway. lThe* conveyor-4r and drawbar are extended" as the loading machine moves forwardly 'from thetunnel trackway. The train 'of empty mine cars maylbe lmoved in any suitable manner, as by a locomotive, Aalong` the tunnel trackwayand over' the track engaging skids of theconveyor suports, withthe mine'cars located beneath the upper conveyors, as shown in'Fig. la.

The scraper vof the loading machine may be operated to gather the loosemuck on thetunnel floor and to move it onto the extensible conveyor ft which in turn discharges ontothe conveyor mechanism, and the loose material is moved along the upper conveyors to discharge progres sively into the mine` cars as the train of cars is shifted beneath the discharge end of the conveyor mechanism, until the cars of the entire train aretilled. The loaded train may then be moved along the trackway from beneathv the conveyor mechanism while the latter remains in a relatively stationary position on the trackway.

As a result of this invention an improved conveyor mechanism is provided for loading a train of mine cars in tunnel work, By mounting the conveyor mechanism -on skids which ride along the track rails the structure is made more simple in design and relatively low in overn all height, while the desired maneuverability is retained. The conveyor supporting skids engaging the trailsv of the same trackway as that which supports and guides the train otfmine carshave upper track providing surfaces so that the car wheels may readily travel over the skidsas the -train of Acars moves along the trackway beneath the upper conveyors. The improved conveyor structure is rugged and durable in design, well adapted to withstand the severe conditions of service in tunnel work. Other advantages willl be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art.

While there is in this application specifically described `onefr'orrn which the invention may assume in practice, 'it will be understood that this form of the same is shown v -for purposes of illustration and that the'invention may bc modied and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A conveyormechanism for tunneling work cornprising a conveyor frame structure carrying an upper conveyor means provided with a discharge end and having relatively short bottom shoes slidable along the railsrot a tunnel trackway, said frame structure adapted to receive a train of cars therein beneath said conveyor means and said shoes having upper track providing surfaces directly above the .rail treads over which the wheels of amine car'rnay move as the mine car travels along the tunnel-trackway beneath Vthe discharge end of said upper `conveyor means, said shoes being spaced substantial distances apart lengthwise of the mechanism so that the car means pro` ded with a discharge end, said frame sections .g J open lengthwisethereof andarranged to receive a train of cars therein beneath .said conveying means, said frame sections having relatively short bottom shoes slidingly engaging the railsot-the tunrfel-trackf 1aid shoes having. uppertracksurfaces overlying treads over which the wheels of the cars of a train ass as the train moves along the tunnel trackway lilly J beneath tie discharge end of said conveying means, said bottom shoes being spacedfapart .substantialdistances lengthwise of the mechanism so that the carsiwithin'fthe fame sections are in the main supported by the :tunnel trackway.

it. A. conveyor mechanism as set forth` in claim 3 wherein said bottom shoes Ihave dependingiflan'ges'engaging the inner edges of the rail treads for retaining the shoes in guided position on the track rails.

5. A conveyor mechanism as set fortnrin claim 3\ wherein coupling' connectionsare provided-between said conveyor frame sections for connecting saidsections-together for movement back and forth along the tunnel trackway, said coupling connections arranged at the outer-sides of said vframe sections to provide space orfthepassage of the mine cars within said frame sections betweenf'said `connectionsas the train travels along the-tunnel1-trackway.

6. A conveyor mechanism especiallydesigned-fortunnel work comprising upright end frames spaced apart longitudinally of the mechanism and rigidly-connected together, and upper conveying means carried by-said end frames, the conveyor mechanism adapted to receivea train of mine cars therein beneath said conveying'rneans, said `end frames having relatively short bottom'shoesjs'l-idable along the rails of the tunnel trackway, 'saidshoes providing upper tracks above the rail trea'dsforv thewheels of the mine cars as the latter travelalongthe trackway beneath said conveying means, said shoes k'beingspaced a substantial distance apart-longitudinallyoithefmeehanism so that the cars within the mechanism Aare-inthe main supported by the tunnel trackway.

y7. A conveyor mechanism as set Aforth `inclaim 6 wherein a series of conveyor frame sections are'pivotally connected together and coupling yconnections are provided between said frame sections permitting lateral turning of said frame sections asthey slide alongl acurvedtrackway, said coupling connections arranged atthe sides of said frame sectionsV out of theV path of movementI of a `train of mine cars moving along theV tunnel trackway beneath said conveying means.

8. In a tunneling apparatus, the combinationwith a mine car adapted to travel along atrackway laid onthe tunnel floor, of a conveying mechanism for conveying loose material dislodged from the tunnel face tothe mine car comprising a conveyor frame arranged to receive the mine car therein beneath saidconveying mechanism and having relatively short bottom skids engaging and slidable along the treads of the track rails andover which the wheels of the mine car may'travel whereby the .car may move longitudinally relative to said conveying. mechanism while the latter remain supportedion thetrackway said bottom skids being spaced a substantial :distance apartflongitudinally of the apparatus so that`theicar'is in the main supported by the tunnel trackway.

(References on following page) 5 References Cited in the le of this patent 2,660,034 UNITED STATES PATENTS 709,088

1,476,882 Forsyth Dec. 11, 1923 1,548,278 Phillips et al. Aug. 4, 1925 603,803 1,959,457 Channell May 22, 1934 478,247

6 Kemper Nov. 24, 1953 Orbits May 24, 1955 OTHER REFERENCES Germany Oct. 10, 1934 Italy Feb. 19, 1953 

